(It is a busy weekend. I have been left alone at the register during a rush. I have had several drinks spilled on myself and my register terminal, and have had countless angry customers berate me. By the time the rush dies down, I am on edge. A couple approaches my till.)

Me: “Welcome to [theater]; can I help you with anything today?”

Wife: “Our movie doesn’t start for a half hour.”

Me: “I… um… to be honest, ma’am, I don’t know what to do about that.”

(I wait for her to start swearing at me, but instead, she and her husband laugh.)

Wife: “Oh, no! We were just letting you know that we’re in no rush, and not buying anything right now. We’re not complaining!”

Husband: “We’re definitely not complainers. We’ve been behind the counter, and we understand.”

Me: “Oh, okay!”

Wife: “That’s a stupid thing to complain about, anyway! Do people actually complain about things like that?”

Me: “I’ve had stranger. A woman reported me for being too nice.”

Husband: “Well, she was just plain salty, wasn’t she?”

(They strike up a conversation with me for fifteen minutes about candy and customers, and the military pins on my lanyard. When their movie ends, they smile and wave goodbye. They completely turn around my evening, and I complete the shift in a brighter mood. A little kindness goes a long way!)